A Look At The Newest Las Vegas Sportsbook, From A Food Truck To Fan Caves
The Linq Casino and Hotel, one of two properties that Caesars Entertainment renovated and rebranded in 2014, is built where Imperial Palace and O’Sheas Casinos once operated. The Linq casino is a huge property that is geared towards younger travelers.
The casino floor, connected to The Linq dining and shopping promenade, has many small distinct gaming areas that are meant to appeal to different people, such as budget-minded gamblers and millenials.
The Book at The Linq
The Book is the new sportsbook at The Linq. It takes over the space that was once devoted to TAG Sports Bar.
The Linq is the latest casino to open a non-traditional sportsbook in Las Vegas, with attractive, high-tech amenities. Earlier this year, the Moneyline Sports Bar and Book opened at Park MGM. Moneyline is more of a bar and restaurant than a sportsbook where guests just sit and watch games.
Dining, available from the Sticky Chicken food truck, and drinking are encouraged (if not required) during peak events at The Book.
The sports betting desk is located between the bar and the food truck so it’s very noticeable. There are about six lines to place wagers but it could become chaotic since there are three openings
for lines to originate.
Fan Caves
The bulk of the seating at The Book is living room-style “Fan Caves,” available as rentals. Each of the 12 Fan Caves has personal TV’s that can show up to six games. Each section can seat up to 10 (small) people on couches and lounge chairs. (They seem to be most comfortable for seven or eight normal to large people.)
The Fan Caves have more than just couches and TV’s. For guests that want more to do than just watch the games, each section comes equipped with an X-Box system to play video games while watching the real games. This would probably come in handy during March Madness when there are only three of four games on at once. It probably wouldn’t be useful during football weekends.
If that wasn’t enough, each section has Virtual Reality goggles and a tablet with mobile games. Eventually, guests will be able to place wagers and place orders using the tablets.
Fan Cave pricing
The current rate to reserve a Fan Cave is a $500 food and beverage minimum. The party renting the Fan Cave isn’t required to eat and drink that much but they’ll have to pay that price regardless if they do. Of course, this isn’t a limit, guests may spend more than the minimum required. The rentals are similar to renting a cabana at a pool or a VIP table in a nightclub.
The price of the Fan Cave is the same for any number of people. For example, if two people rent a Fan Cave it will cost $250 for food and beverage per person. If 10 people rent the fan cave, the party can split up the cost to $50 per person based on this rate. Drink prices start around $8 or $9 and food truck prices start around $5 for fries and $12 for a sandwich. Reaching the minimum spend shouldn’t be difficult for a larger group – even if it’s for a single session of NFL games.
Reservations are only available in person at The Linq as of the opening of the new sportsbook. An online reservation system should be available shortly.
More features
While the Fan Caves at The Linq are splashy and a great game-watching environment, not everyone needs the VIP treatment. There are 87 TV’s at The Book and games can be watched from different areas. Bar seating is limited, but available to anyone who wanders in, based on availabilty.
General admission seating also includes about 100 chairs located next to the bar. It’s complimentary, but that would expect to change for signature events such as the big game. There are tables and space at the bar for anyone who orders food from the food truck located on the opposite side of the bar.
What’s next for sportsbook experiences
The new sportsbooks at The Linq and Park MGM in Las Vegas may or may not be the future of sportsbooks. These sportsbooks that provide multiple amenities and experiences are certainly a trend in Las Vegas where casino corporations seek to generate revenue beyond betting on the games.
Casinos and racetracks around the country are opening their sportsbooks for the first time this football season. So far, many (not all) of those sportsbooks are just TV’s or larger viewing screens and chairs to get started. The model for sportsbooks elsewhere may evolve over the years like it has in Las Vegas.
William Hill is off to the races creating different sportsbook experiences and Monmouth Racetrack and Ocean Casino in New Jersey. Fanduel recently upgraded their sportsbook at the Meadowlands to include larger screens. There are still more sportsbooks to open in New Jersey, Mississippi and West Virginia.
The first non-traditional sportsbook opening outside of Las Vegas could be at the Borgata in Atlantic City. MGM Resorts International is currently building a new sportsbook. The casino operator has been upgrading and renovating their Las Vegas sportsbooks to offer a different experience at just about each property.
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